Former Sheffield United footballer recruits new legal team

Convicted rapist Ched Evans has instructed a new legal team to help him clear his name.

Former Sheffield United striker Evans, aged 24, of Millhouse Green, Penistone, was jailed last year for five years for raping a woman in a hotel room on a night out in Rhyl, north Wales, in May 2011.

Last year his application to appeal against his sentence was rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Now, on a website set up by his supporters, it has been revealed that the footballer, who maintains his innocence, has employed specialist investigations company Liberton Investigations, headed up by ex-senior detective Russ Whitfield.

Leading appeals lawyer David Emanuel, of Garden Court Chambers, London, is reviewing all the paperwork surrounding Evans’ trial with a view to making an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission for permission to apply again for leave to appeal the conviction and sentence.

Mr Whitfield said: “Having reviewed this case and caused further enquiries to be made, I have some investigative concerns about the conviction.

“It appears some aspects of the case that were relevant to Ched’s defence may not have been fully explored pre-trial.”